Ecuador
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Picture by Mavrick 2013
15 mins from Quito is the exact line dividing the norther and southern hemispheres. There are two sites that claim to be on the Equator Line the Mitad del Mundo, which is just a tourist trap that is approx. 240 m off the mark. You walk up a dirt trail to the Intinan Museum. Here you can see how the Inca's determined that this is where the middle of the earth was, and see demonstrations like on one side of the line water swirls to the left and on the other side to the right.
Galapagos
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Picture by dive buddy 2013
The Galapagos Islands are volcanic islands that are part of Ecuador and are a member of UNESCO. These Islands are called a "living Museum" The extreme isolation and the way three different ocean currents meet up has made the area a melting pot of animal life. It was here that Charles Darwin came up with his stupid theory that things just evolved.
Cuenca Azuay Ecuador
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Our Cuenca House 2013
Cuenca is our families second home. It is a member of UNESCO and is at over 8,000 feet elevation. The weather is really neat it is always in the 20's and it rains for about an hour each afternoon. The city name is Spanish for 4 rivers, three of which start in the Cajas and all are part of the Amazon River watershed. The city is compact and has miles and miles of walking trails and bike trails. The Cjas National Park is only a 20 min drive away and once you are used to the altitude (14,000 feet) you can have a blast trout fishing .